RE: It Costs More, but Is It Worth More? - NYTimes.com [1 Attachment]

[Guest guest]

Well, creation of a national data base of all treatments rendered, comparing diagnosis, diets, occupational and other exposures, test results and followup care might some day lead data analysts, scientists and physicians to best practices, best medicines, and best environmental guidelines. With the rush to convert to on-line and electronic record keeping, we have started in the right direction. However, additional data must be collected that is not now available. The added cost can be built in to the providers' bills. Pharmeuctical companies could be assisted in long term studies if drug stores collected questionnaires with each refill, with answers that could be cross checked against other patient medical history, and work history and occupational exposures, etc. Once a week, the BIG COMPUTER would update all files and all studies with additional data. Overtime, valid trends would become apparent. Humans, as a life form, walk about the planet consuming resources. No doubt we are an imperfect organism, still evolving. Wisdom comes from observiation with insight, like the doctor who took the handle off a water pump in London and stopped an epidemic. Of course, the trend would require that some day all our DNA be available in a searchable format for comparison with drugs, treatments, environmental exposures and diets. Regards, T [Attachment(s) from Kathy Meade Goulait included below] http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/it-costs-more-but-is-it-worth-more/?ref=opinion Another link that I put on the VPCC Facebook page. You can go there and giveyour opinion. Should Medicare payment be tied to proof? Given the problems we have with"proof" how could this potentially impact Medicare payments for prostatecancer treatments? I have always been frustrated by the lack of "proof" forprostate cancer treatments. While the discussion is focused on protontreatment could/should it eventually be expanded to include other cancertreatments? How many of our decisions are based on marketing informationfrom either companies or from patients who believe their treatment was the"right" treatment? What type of pressure is put on medical practices orhospitals to use expensive equipment to recover costs? Should the freemarket be allowed to just keep spreading very expensive machines withoutproof of efficacy? Is there the money to do the trials to prove who is themost appropriate patient for a treatment? Just a few of the questions I have. I am concerned about what is best forthe patient not the manufacturers/providers. What are your thoughts? I believe that it is important for us tothink/discuss all these issues. If this becomes policy, how do we respond?Kathy